Condo upgrades have moved outside at 109OZ where buyers can choose between a garden balcony or a cottage-country terrace.

The six-storey building at 109 Ossington Ave., between Dundas and Queen St. W., offers the Al Fresco Kitchen Garden, created by award-winning landscape architect Scott Torrance, and also the Muskoka Cottage Escape by David Leinster of the Planning Partnership, known for his work on the waterfront’s award-winning Sugar Beach.

Built by Reserve Properties, 109OZ will offer the packages for $7,500 to $15,000 — depending on the balcony’s size.

“We were looking at different condo lifestyle concepts and what’s unique about that lifestyle,” says Shane Fenton of Reserve Properties. “ People haven’t spent a lot of time looking at this and we thought we could wow people with it and show them how to use that space efficiently.”

Although the balconies at 109Oz are 65 to 350 square feet, Fenton says most are 75 sq. ft. and it’s those the designers focussed on.

“People are having difficulty figuring out what to do with these balconies,” says Torrance. “When it comes to outdoor space, not everybody is used to dealing with it.”

Torrance says many condo owners put a couple of chairs onto their balconies, a few plants that usually aren’t big enough, make no provisions for storage space and the result is not a very inviting space where people want to spend time.He used some of the ideas from his 7,500-sq.-ft. winning green roof design for ESRI Canada’s Garden in the Sky in North York to create a flexible, lightweight and inviting design for 109Oz.

Torrance’s design uses a system of cedar planters that have wheels and can move to screen the view or take advantage of sun direction.

“They are lightweight and flexible. They can be taken apart, and everything is modular,” Torrance says.

“The planter is more than a planter — it can be a space-divider, a food-prep area, a place to put drinks on. It even has its own water reservoir.”

“The furniture, from Landscape Forms, is tough and durable,” says Torrance. “I like metal chairs as they dry out quickly. You don’t need cushions and they are comfortable. There is also a chaise lounge, a fire pit and a runner to soften the concrete floor..”

With his Muskoka Cottage Escape design, Leinster offers a rustic retreat for condo owners who appreciate a casual outdoor space in an urban setting. As well as hardy plants, his design incorporates wood dock flooring, plaid chairs, a folding table and teak stools and table, moveable LED lamps, a grill and Mason jars to grow herbs.

“We used plants you’d find in Muskoka, such as grasses and wildflowers that are hardier and coarser in texture and have a more casual feel,” Leinster says.

The classic Muskoka dock served as an inspiration. Leinster wanted the furniture to be flexible and all pieces but the banquette are easily moveable. The planters have a granite edge, which is a reference to the Canadian Shield found in the Muskokas.

Fenton says about 40 per cent of the purchasers at 109Oz will have the option of the balcony designs that were recently introduced but sales have been underway since last year. 109Oz will have 85 condo lofts in one-, one-bedroom-with-den and two-bedroom configurations and retail space at street level.

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